​Greetings. ​Matthew 15:9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Jesus was talking to the Scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders of that day. Now He's talking to the Church folks of today: Pastors, Deacons,Ushers, etc. Stay with me as we ask the Holy Ghost to teach us not to worship in vain. How do we worship in vain?Psalms 119:113I hate vain thoughts but thy Law [GOD'S WORD] do I love.1 Samuel 12:21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.Our own vain carnal thoughts or the worship of GOD’S word cannot profit us spiritually. We have to know what we are worshiping in the first place, we must be delivered from our own way of interpreting: the law or Bible.  Roman 7: 6But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead [spiritually] wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of the  spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. The oldness of the letter is what the old man or carnal man receiveswhen he reads the Bible. What does the letter of The Law do? It kills spiritually. 2 Corinthian 3:6Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life  When anybody is in his own doctrine or speech he is speaking of himself or his thought, which is his interpretation on a scripture.John 7:16Jesus answered them, and said, my doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. John 7:17If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.Thus you have two doctrine one of power and authority which is of GOD and the other of a Pharisees or men. Luke 4:36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, what a word is this! For with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. The unclean spirit in the above verse is just a thought of a man, we have all been unclean because what has come fore from our lips, concerning God's word. Isaiah 6:5  Then said I, woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts. Of course we think we are better than Isaiah and our lips are pure. Mark 1:22And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. For 25 years I and millions of others have taught and preached the Bible in the doctrine and commandment of men. But for a time I thought my doctrine was pure and needed a rebuke even as Zophar the Naanathite accursed Job: Job 11:4For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.God's commandants are his words all 66 books. Numbers 15:39 and  it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after you own hearts and yours own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring. We all at first go whoring after our own thoughts about what you think the Bible says, you are in bed with your thoughts: a whore and loving it. Please do not add you own thought to any scriptures or take from it.Deuteronomy 4:2You shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your GOD WHICH I COMMAND YOU.After a while we product vain thoughts in our mind which are like children. When God judge own thought at this stage in the game he will not have mercy Hosea 2:4 And I will not mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms . We are not talking physical children. When  you see GOD’S word with your own thoughts you’re seeing a whore that we created in our minds and we love this whore.HOSEA 2:13  And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.The days of Baalim, what that about? Baalim walked in imagination.Jeremiah 9:14But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim.If anybody ever told you they have a good heart, you should get as far away from them as possible. They just lied to you and themselves. Jeremiah 7:24  But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. Man rejects GOD’S word because he is in love with his own counsel in the imagination of his evil heart. But we can always dress this whore up in our minds with earring and jewels she’s our lover.  Proverbs 11:22  As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion. Our vain thoughts are nothing but spiritually whoredom and spiritually adultery, please ask God to destroy them. Matthew 12:9  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign.This is talking spiritually adultery the carnal mind looks for a sign; something they can see physically. Jeremiah 3:3Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.You can’t shame a whore and what is shame?1 Corinthian 15:34Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.  Shame is no spiritually knowledge of GOD’S word. Kick that whore out of your temple!!  3/28/2016/ amended 5/12/2021 / amended 7/5/2021/amended7/18/2022 MICHAEL RUDOLPH HODGES

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